Pregnant and Can’t Pee?!

Constipation is an affliction which effects us all from time to time and though it’s a bit TMI, in general, we’re quite open about it, considering our other affliction: the stiff upper lip. But what about problems with the other? Going for a wee or taking a pee, making a dash or having a slash – we tend to take it for granted, don’t we?

Someone close to me ended up in hospital with a catheter several times over the festive period last year. I sympathised, but I couldn’t imagine being unable to do a wee. (For the record, it’s ‘do’ a wee, not ‘have’ a wee. If you’re in the other camp [with my husband], then you’re wrong along with him. This is merely my opinion by the way, but I’m right.) I couldn’t quite fathom how you could sit down and fail to do your business, because it just happens, doesn’t it!

I’m writing this post, because I found out to my dismay, that this is not always the case, and actually, it can be quite frightening…

Since falling pregnant for the second time, I’ve noticed it takes some effort to empty my bladder. I’ve never previously experienced anything like this, yet during my first trimester I found myself confiding in hubby in passing that the baby must be lying right on top of my tubes and compressing them! But no matter, pregnancy does many strange things and we just have to cope with them.

However, recently I got up in the night and after a small trickle, there was…nothing. I sat for a few minutes but literally nothing more came. Eventually I went back to bed. I laid down and immediately decided I wasn’t done – I still needed a wee.

I returned to the en suite and after a further while of trying and failing to empty my bladder, I started to panic.

Of course, we now live in a time of always having a ‘doctor’ to hand, so out of desperation (in more ways than one), I Googled ‘pregnant and can’t wee’ – and was shocked to see how little information was available. Literally all I could find on the subject was threads on forums, which was hardly ideal. And yet – I got my answer.

So, should you find yourself in similar situation, here’s what you need to do:

Put your head between your knees.

It wasn’t like turning on a tap, but it did allow me to s-l-o-w-l-y do my business.

Incidentally, out of fear of the same situation occurring and following a conversation with a nice lady I reached on NHS Direct, I was advised to get checked out by my doctor. Since my GP was too busy to see me, even as an emergency case, NHS Direct subsequently urged me to go to A&E (I know, such a ridiculous situation) because in rare cases the inability to pass water can be serious – particularly when pregnant; and, of course, we take no risks whilst pregnant.

Turns out this is a thing – albeit uncommon compared to many pregnancy complaints – and there was nothing for me to be overtly worried about.

But for those who may find themselves struggling in the middle of the night, and want more info than that available on a forum, I’m hopeful that a quick Google search will bring this post to you and provide some relief. Pun intended.

If you do encounter this problem (I noticed around 16 weeks was the norm FYI) and it does not go away after one episode, I recommend getting checked by your midwife or GP – better safe than sorry.